In the novel that I, Emily Marshall Slayton, read, Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault that Changed a Presidency, the authors Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard go through the life of President Ronald Wilson Reagan and his would-be assassin, John Hinckley Jr. O’Reilly is an American television host of his show The O’Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel and an author of the bestselling Killing series. He has written three previous books with assistant author Martin Dugard of that series including Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, and Killing Patton (“Career Success”, n/a). Co-author Martin Dugard is an author, running coach, and popular speaker. He is also known to have written The Murder of King Tut, Chasing Lance, and The Last…show more content… The year is 2004 and Reagan is ninety three years old lying in his bed. He is dying of pneumonia and his family surrounds him (O’Reilly, 2015, pg.1). O’Reilly begins every chapter with the date, time, city and state, and building that the event he is writing about is about to take place. Readers are able to see Reagan at the age of twenty six when he is just getting his foot in the door in Hollywood. He soon marries Jane Wyman. Reagan is often seen as a man with charm and seems like he would be an ideal family man while O’Reilly shines light on Reagan’s not so brilliant side. Ronald Reagan was a womanizer and a very proud man. He would get jealous over his wife’s growing fame and often ignore his children. In 1948 Jane Wyman filed for a divorce, devastating Reagan (O’Reilly, 2015, pg.29). Reagan begins drinking and spending too much at Hollywood casinos and has a series of sexual affairs with women much younger than him. His success as a movie star has flatlined and his contract with Warner Bros. is terminated. Reagan begins to climb back up the ladder when he begins starring in animal movies and begins to date Nancy Davis, another actress (O’Reilly, 2015, pg.33). In intervals, O’Reilly turns the focus away from Reagan and turns it towards John Hinckley. As Reagan is feeding the fire which is his political interest Hinckley is growing up and showing signs of mental…show more content… Several crisis’s during his presidency that show he is not to be taken lightly. After Reagan won the election PATCO, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization, demanded a one hundred percent pay raise. They supported Reagan during his campaign but the pay raise was too much. Thirteen thousand air traffic controllers go on strike. Reagan winds up to bat. “If they do not report for work within 48 hours, they have fortified their jobs and will be terminated.” (O’Reilly, 2015, pg.198). At the time, Reagan was under heavy scrutiny from the Soviet Union so he refused to back down. More than eleven thousand air traffic controllers continued to be on strike. Forty-four hours later every one of them was fired. (O’Reilly, 2015, pg.198) This example of steel nerve shows that Reagan sticks to his word no matter the consequences. He allow the union to bring America to it’s knees especially under watch of the Soviet Union. George Shultz, Reagan’s secretary of state will later call this day “the most important foreign policy decision Reagan has ever made.” (O’Reilly, 2015,
